Navua - Week 8

Siga ni Sucu!

Bula family!

It was so good to see everyone on Christmas!  Everyone looked happy and healthy and great!  It was definitely weird not being home this Christmas, but we had a pretty good one down here in Fiji.  We got up on Christmas morning and opened the packages that we had by our little Christmas tree, and then we hopped on a bus and headed to Suva where we had a big missionary activity.  It was mostly just fun little games and a white elephant gift 

exchange.  

At the Diloi's house

And then we went to a member family named the Dilois where we had a lovo (earth oven meal) which was so good!  I really want to learn how to do that so I can cook some of it back home.  After that we just went around visiting a few families sharing Christmas messages....and everyone fed us!  By the time I got home I was so full I thought I would never want to eat again.  It was definitely a Christmas I'll never forget.  

Lovo!

Fijians have a really simple Christmas--usually little or no presents and just spend the day at home with their family.  It's good because they focus more on our Lord and Savior and on His birth, and I really enjoyed the simplicity of it all!

Other than that this week went fairly well as far as the work is concerned.  Probably the biggest news is that we now have a big family of nine that want to be baptized!  The Waqabaca family was being taught in Lami by the sisters until about a week ago when they unexpectedly had to move down to Navua.  Their grandfather was baptized about 6 months ago, and now they all want to follow his footsteps!  They were all very active 7th Day Adventists before, but the message of the Restoration has truly touched their hearts and brought a big change in their lives.  I'm way excited for them!  We are working for them to be baptized in January and it is looking really good!

A lot of other investigators are doing really well!  A girl named Api who I thought was a member because she always comes to church.  Eugene and his wife Ruci are really enjoying our visits and have a great testimony of the Restoration already.  And a new investigator named Samu, who we weren't sure if he was taking lessons for him or his member girlfriend, but he showed up to church and had a great time!  The problem we're finding is the holidays.  Combine normal Fiji time with Christmas/New Years and you get a very very laid back and noncommittal village of Fijians! 

Can't believe my year mark is on Thursday.....hope you all have fun celebrating!  I heard they're going to drop a ball at midnight in New York City just for me! 

Love,

Elder Harris

Skyping with Mom!

Very happy with my Mac and Cheese!